September 2019 - Baseball Wiretap

The Boston Red Sox are on track to pay a $13.05 million luxury tax for a season in which they are likely to miss the playoffs.

The World Series champions' payroll for purposes of the tax increased from $239.7 million on Opening Day to $242.8 million on Aug. 31, according to calculations by the commissioner's office obtained by The Associated Press.

Teams are allowed to get to $206 million before the luxury tax kicks in.

As of Opening Day, the Red Sox were projected for an $11.76 million tax.

Ronald Acuna Jr. ignited a four-run rally with the go-ahead, two-run double, as the NL East leading Braves clinched a playoff berth with a 10-1 victory over the Nationals on Saturday.

Acuna Jr.'s double down the left-field line off of Nationals reliever Fernando Rodney added fuel to a dramatic seventh inning for the Braves (93-57), who reduced their magic number to four to clinch their 19th division title.

Gary Pressy has played the organ at Wrigley Field for 2,679 consecutive Chicago Cubs games -- and counting. That streak, however, will come to an end after this season.

The 61-year-old Pressy, who began his career with the Cubs in 1987, is retiring after this season.

"I've been there a third of a century, 33 years, and I think the cup is full," Pressy told the Chicago Tribune on Friday. "I was debating it back and forth, but I really just wanted to spend more quality time with my family. Around the All-Star break I really got to thinking about it and made my decision."

Angels outfielder Justin Upton was ruled out for the rest of the season with patellar tendinitis, the team announced after Friday night's loss to the Rays.

Upton, who had an MRI earlier this week after complaining of right knee discomfort and missed his second straight game Friday, will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection and will need six weeks of recovery. He is expected to be ready for spring training in 2020.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday he's "optimistic" both Edwin Encarnacion and Gary Sanchez will be able to return before the end of the season, one day after the sluggers were injured in separate games of a doubleheader victory over Detroit.